Zachary Christensen
Managing Director, Pension Integrity Project, Reason Foundation
Zachary Christensen is a managing director of Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project.
Christensen’s work with Reason's Pension Integrity Project aims to promote solvent, sustainable retirement systems that provide retirement security for government workers while reducing long-term costs for taxpayers and employees. Zachary and his team provide education, reform policy options, and actuarial analysis for policymakers and stakeholders to help them design practical and viable reform proposals.
The Pension Integrity Project has provided technical assistance to several successful pension reform efforts in recent years, including in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, South Carolina, Texas, and other states tackling persistent pension solvency challenges.
Christensen has contributed to in-depth solvency analysis of the Arizona PSPRS, Arkansas TRS, Louisiana TRSL, Texas ERS, and Texas TRS pension plans.
Christensen's work has been published in the Los Angeles Daily News, Orange County Register, NJ.com, Colorado Politics, and many other publications. He has also been featured in the Carolina Journal and the Michigan Capitol Confidential. His research has been published by the Hoover Institution, The Platte Institute, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Rio Grande Foundation.
Prior to joining Reason Foundation, Christensen was a pension finance analyst at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, where he worked on widely-cited research on the funding status and accounting methods for public sector retirement systems.
Christensen holds an M.S. in Public Policy from Pepperdine University and a B.S. in Political Science from Brigham Young University.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: Bill endangers Alaska’s reforms, Louisiana bills would weaken retirement system, and more
Plus: Why public pension funds should not be guided by politics, Kansas considers a defined contribution plan, and more.
-
The Great Resignation highlights the need for public pension plans to adapt to today’s mobile workforce
Governments should consider modernizing their retirement plans and options for workers who don’t intend to stay in one position or with one employer for multiple decades.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: Alaska’s risky pension bill, calls to divest, and more
Plus: Report identifies 2022 challenges for pension funds, pension plans aren't helping with teacher employment, deferred retirement options expose public pensions to unique risks, and more.
-
Testimony: Assessing the proposed Kansas Thrift Savings Plan in Senate Bill 553
The proposed Thrift Savings retirement plan in Senate Bill 553 reflects a high-quality public sector retirement plan design that incorporates best practices from national experience.
-
Comparing how much states contribute to public workers’ defined contribution retirement plans
Government employers should ensure their contributions to employees' defined contribution retirement plan are in line with industry best practices.
-
Alaska pension bill would bring major financial risk and unfunded liability growth
House Bill 55 would commit Alaska to unpredictable long-term costs for public safety workers' pensions so it is crucial to consider the costs over decades, not just a few years.
-
Current pension plans aren’t helping recruit and retain teachers
The data show that public pension offerings may be preventing public schools from providing teaching staff what they really want: higher salaries.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: State pension bills, improving transparency, ESG investing, and more
America's 75 largest cities reported $357 billion in total debt in 2020.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: Alaska and Florida consider retirement reforms, Arizona looks to pay down debt, and more
Plus: Analysis of Milwaukee's struggling public pension plans, reform options for Mississippi, and more.
-
Gov. DeSantis’ proposed budget would improve Florida’s defined contribution retirement plan for teachers, workers
The governor’s proposal would raise the state's retirement contribution rate for employers by 3 percent, bolstering employees' retirement accounts.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: Houston pension system moves into crypto investing, California pension spiking, and more.
Plus: How pension funding can impact K-12 education inequalities, New York teachers' pension plan lowers investment expectations, and more.
-
-
State pension plan funded ratios in 2020
Most state pension plans saw significant drops in funding in the last two decades.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: State pension plans change investment return assumptions, how to improve Florida’s retirement plan, and more
Plus: Historical analysis of state pension plan funded ratios and comparisons between public and private sector teacher retirement benefits.
-
Testimony: Recommendations for the FRS Investment Plan
Adjustments to Florida's public defined contribution retirement plan could better serve employees and taxpayers.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: How strong investment returns impact public pension funding
Plus: New York lowers its investment return expectations, problems for Ohio's teacher plan, new pension reports from Pew and Equable, and more.
-
Three reasons why public pensions still need reform
Despite realizing excellent investment returns in 2021, public pension plans are still in need of reforms to prevent future debt and ensure they can pay out promised benefits.
-
Pension Reform Newsletter: Leveraging airports to improve pension solvency, the future of reform in Pennsylvania, and more
Plus: Solutions to Montana’s pension challenges, comparing U.S. and Canadian public pensions, and more.
